Hair curlers



April 6, 1957 N. L. SOLOMON 2,788,788

HAIR CURLERS Filed Jan. 18, 1955 -INVENTOR. NATHAN L.5OLOMON ATTORNEY United States Patent HAIR CURLERS Nathan L. Solomon, Englewood, N. J.

Application January 18, 1955, Serial No. 482,460

1 Claim. (Cl. 13240) This invention relates to hair curlers in the form of perforated cylinders having end portions which are recessed at circumferentially spaced intervals to form pairs of opposed tines or teeth at the ends of the cylinders facilitating gripping engagement with the hair adjacent the scalp. More particularly, the invention deals with a curler of the character described, wherein the natural unwinding tension of the hair mounted upon the curler serves to urge at least part of the tines or teeth into gripping engagement with the hair at the scalp in holding the curlers in perpendicular position with respect to the scalp, the opposed oppositely directed tines or teeth serving to provide the coupling with the scalp hair, regardless of the direction of winding of the hair upon the curler.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view indicating two curlers arranged upon the head with the hair wound upon the curlers, one of the showings being broken away to diagrammatically indicate the engagement of the curler with the scalp hair; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a curler detached.

My improved curlers are of what might be termed the non-sleeping type, that is to say, are used upon the hair in setting curls for a period of time during the day when they can be worn about the'home.

In Fig. l of the drawing, 1 have diagrammatically shown, at 10, part of the scalp of a head and, at 11, I have shown two of my improved curlers, on which swatches of hair 12 are wound in the usual manner. One of the swatches of hair is broken away, as seen at 13, in order to diagrammatically illustrate engagement of one of a number of tines or teeth 14 with the hair 15 adjacent the scalp in support of the curler against displacement from the scalp, as more fully hereinafter described.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing, I have shown in perspective detail one of the curlers 11 which I employ, the curler being in the form of an elongated cylinder 16 which can be formed of any suitable material. However, plastic material is preferred.

The cylinder has recessed, at its end, circumferentially spaced undercut dovetailed recesses 17 which form, at the outer edge of the cylinder ends, opposed oppositely directed fines or teeth, such as the teeth 14, previously described. The opposed teeth are widely spaced to form free entrance of hair into said recesses 17. The cylinder 16 also has circumferentially and longitudinally spaced apertures, as indicated at 18, to provide ventilation for the curler to assist in drying the hair, as and when the hair is moistened prior to formation of the resulting curlers from the wound swatches of hair 12.

2,788,788 Patented Apr. 16, 1957 "ice In the construction shown, the cylinder 16 is formed from a sheet or strip of plastic material which is then shaped into the cylindrical form, the ends of the sheet abutting, as seen at 19 in Fig. 2 of the drawing. These ends are preferably located centrally with respect to the recesses 17 and the abutting ends 19 may be cemented or otherwise secured together.

Considering the broken-away portion ofthe one swatch of hair on one of the curlers illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing, namely the illustration to the right, if we assume that the curler is wound in the direction of the arrow 20 in the operation of winding the swatch of hair 12 thereon, upon completion of the winding of the swatch of hair, the ends of the curler, adjacent the scalp 10, is pressed in the direction of the scalp and then released and, upon releasing the same, the normal unwinding tendency of the swatch of hair will urge the tine or prong 14 into engagement with the hair 15 at the scalp in retaining the curler against displacement from the scalp. When it is desired to remove the curler, the curler is wound slightly in the opposite direction and then pulled away from the scalp, whereupon, the curler can be removed from the scalp and the hair. In this connection, it will be understood that, in the operation of winding the hair and curler in a direction opposite to the arrow 20, the looking or holding engagement will be accomplished through the medium of the opposed tine or tooth by reason of the opposed direction of Winding of the swatch of hair.

While I have indicated only one of the tines or teeth engaging a part of the hair at the scalp, it will be apparent that two or more of these tines or teeth will doubtlessly engage the hair around the circumference of the end of the cylindrical curler.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that no supplemental or additional holding means is required in retaining the curlers in position upon the scalp. The normal springiness or tension of the wound curler is suflicient to retain the curlers in position upon the scalp. It will further be apparent that any desired number of the curlers may be arranged about the scalp. Only two curlers are diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing to indicate the general arrangement ofcurlers upon the head.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A hair curler of the character described, comprising a cylindrical member, ends of said member having circumferentially spaced dovetailed recesses forming pairs of oppositely directed widely spaced teeth adapted to engage the hair at the scalp in support of the curler with a swatch of hair wound thereon against accidental displacement from the scalp, said recesses being each defined by straight inner walls paralleling the ends of the cylindrical member and outwardly converging straight walls partially forming said teeth, and said cylinder being fashioned from an apertured sheet of material with straight parallel ends of the sheet abutting in a longitudinal split, the ends of which open into alined dovetailed recesses at ends of said cylindrical member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,430,766 Gregory Nov. 11, 1947 2,523,062 Rogers Sept. 19, 1950 FOREIGN PATENIS 501,496 Belgium Mar. 15, 1951 280,683 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1952 

